Mystery, Melancholy - The Magnetism of "The Red Violin"

Francois Girard's The Red Violin (1998) is a film for all seasons, but I find myself especially drawn to its mystery and melancholy in fall and winter. The multilingual story opens in 17th century Italy, when master violin-maker Nicolo Bussotti (Carlo Cecchi) is at the zenith of his career and anticipating the day his young wife will deliver their first child. The young woman has strange premonitions about her pregnancy, however, and she seeks out a fortune-teller, embarking us on a journey with the red violin into future "worlds," from 18th century Austria, to Oxford in the 1800s, the Cultural Revolution in China, and finally, 20th century Montreal, Canada.

The poetic journey is both tragic and triumphant - a real gold-mine for music and cinema lovers on a quest for art that can meet the high aesthetic expectations of our intellect, and yet touch the deepest corners of the soul and emotions. Perhaps because winter is often the best time for introspection, the thoughtful, sometimes melancholy pace of The Red Violin draws me in moreso at this time of year. The twists are sometimes jolting, sometimes predictable. But during each viewing, I am always impressed with how well the story, cinematography, directing, acting, and overall feel of this film flow together, despite how very different each culture and story is from the next. The violin, ultimately, ties up all of the loose ends, its music transcending the ages and uniting each person with its magnetic force . . . who ends up with it finally is for you to find out . . .

Oscar Sunday! - Veda Predicts

It's Oscar Sunday! Will you be watching the awards on ABC tonight? Sure, they're dragged out more than any other award show, but I always get excited to see who will win what and how they will react (it especially touches my heart when people are overcome with emotion and so gracious at the podium. It's also fun when they're so shocked, they throw out a curse word or two-thanks Melissa Leo, haha).
I decided to throw out some of my predictions for tonight's awards. I could be totally wrong-as I sometimes am, but it's fun just the same. Usually when I am wrong, it's because I let my emotions get in the way...

Here we go...
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners (It would be a shock if he didn't win.)
Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, The Help
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Best Actress: Viola Davis, The Help (She gave an incredible performance! Come on!)
Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen: Midnight in Paris (Woody Allen)
Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published: The Descendants (Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash)
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Best Motion Picture: The Artist

Tune in to see if I'm right tonight!

Oscar Week! Watch Some Past Nominees (Veda Rains)

It's Oscar week, yeah! Everything is building up to Sunday night. As you gear up to watch the awards to see the stars, the clothes and the showmanship of one Billy Crystal (and, oh yeah, to see who goes home with the bald guy!), why not watch one of Oscar's past contenders? Set the mood. Here are just a few past Oscar contenders to keep you going:

For The Hardcore Cinephile:

Citizen Kane (1941)
It's been named the greatest snub for Best Picture. Ever. Period. And after watching this film, you can see why. Everything falls into place in this masterfully executed film by Orson Welles.
IMDB Logline: Following the death of a publishing tycoon (Kane), news reporters scramble to discover the meaning of his final utterance.

For The Movie-Musical with Edge Fanatic:

Cabaret (1972)
Bob Fosse's shocking, sexy, daring adaptation of this musical set in Germany won a slew of Academy Awards in 1973 and Liza Minnelli's pipes are not the only reason...
IMDB Logline: A female girlie club entertainer (Sally Bowles) in Weimar Republic era Berlin romances two men while the Nazi Party rises to power around them.

For The Unconventional:

Juno (2007)
Another "coming of age" story it is not. If you're looking for clever writing and a story that will surprisingly touch your heart and make you laugh all at once, look no further than this Best Original Screenplay Winner.
IMDB Logline: Faced with an unplanned pregnancy, an offbeat young woman makes an unusual decision regarding her unborn child.

Sometimes You Just Need to Laugh

Ever had one of those days when it seems like everything you do goes wrong? Or everything you try to fix gets worse? Today has been one of those days for me... Sometimes you just need to laugh. Fortunately, there's hours and hours of hilarious bloopers on the web. I especially enjoy the bloopers from the Black & White era. It just humanizes actors more. I've included some links to put a smile on your face. Warning: There's a bit of cussing and these aren't the best, but I've enjoyed them nonetheless:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WABqYy--n3M



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOR2f0EA8Co


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x-jTF5p6uY&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHbAYcHZWcU&feature=related

Getting into The Biz: First Steps (FILM)

Okay, back in September I promised to start sharing tips and info wonderful mentors/friends have bestowed upon me regarding the elusive film world of LA. Whether you just want to dip your toes in the water, or take the plunge, here are a few things you have to do right away! Today, we'll cover...

Getting to Know The Trade Magazines - Research
Your go-to sources for everything film/industry related, these magazines will help you not only better your understanding of what's going on (deals being made, industry peeps stepping into CEO/important roles, others getting signed to agencies, what scripts/ideas are making the rounds through studios, studio problems, etc), but will also make your more knowledgeable about the industry as a whole.


The Hollywood Reporter
The price of this mag is fairly high, but the website is chock-full of much of the same information you can get on the newsstand. AKA: Start checking out their website daily NOW: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/

Below The Line
Want to be a part of the crew? Below The Line publishes articles and production listings whose primary audience is the film crew. So if you're wondering where a good place to start getting involved and finding out who's looking for crew members, working on what, etc., subscribe!
Check out their website: http://www.btlnews.com/

Variety
Somewhat similar to The Hollywood Reporter, Variety has been around since 1905! It offers industry news and the latest reviews. There are several different versions of this mag:
Variety - weekly edition
Daily Broadway - daily Los Angeles & Broadway edition
Daily Variety Gotham - daily East Coast edition
Variety.com - yep, it's subscription-based too
Variety On-The-Go - App version of the mag
See their website to decide what version you think best suits you (maybe all?):
http://www.variety.com/Home/

First Look: The Decoy Bride

I was checking out one of my go-to sources for entertainment information and stumbled upon this delightful trailer for a new film starring Boardwalk Empire breakout Kelly MacDonald, David Tennant and Alice Eve. MacDonald plays a woman hired to be a decoy bride for a Hollywood actress who plans to marry in Scotland.
I don't know about you, but I find romantic comedies have seriously been lacking in the past few years (I think I've written this before, but they're my guilty pleasure, and for a time, I found myself buying rom coms at least once or twice a month for a couple of years there). However, there's something about this delightful trailer that has me interested and hopeful. Apparently this film was made in 2011, and is finally going to get a limited release soon (March 9th in the USA). Watch the trailer below... What do you think?

Five New Films You've Never Heard Of - Joan Finch

I love finding out about new films and as I was looking at upcoming March releases I came across 5 interesting ones you may not know about. 

Friends With Kids is about a pair of singles whose friends have all become married parents & who decide to have a kid together. But apparently not be together. Thats some serious peer pressure. The cast has echos of last years Bridesmaids with Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Jon Hamm and Chris O'Dowd. 

It's a directorial debut for actress Jennifer Westfedlt who also wrote and stars in Friends with real life beau Jon Hamm. 

Being Flynn stars Paul Dano and Robert De Niro as father and son struggling with ideas of identity and the father/son relationship. It's based on the personal memoir of Director Paul Weitz who also directed About A Boy and lest I forget...American Pie. Really a surprising mix of films from this guy. 

Jeff, Who Lives at Home looks like a existential comedy but it's being talked about as a variety of genres.  The words 'tonal strangeness' were used to describe it. Brothers Mark and Jay Duplass are unfamiliar to me but it seems like none of their previous work fits well into conventional 'types'.  

Jeff is played by Jason Segel co-starring with Ed Helms, Judy Greer and Susan Sarandon. I don't really know what to make of this one. I'm going to have to see it. 

The Deep Blue Sea is a period piece with a small cast about a love affair and its players. It stars Rachel Weisz, Simon Russell Beale and Tom Hiddleston  respectively as the wife, the husband and the other man. Deep Blue is written and directed by Terence Davies who has a background in theatre and apparently sought Weisz out for the part. I'm a big fan of Rachel Weisz and hopefully she gets to flex her acting muscles. 

Based on the trailer it's also going to be visually stunning. 

Turn Me On, Dammit! is a Norwegian film starring unknown actors with inconceivable yet beautiful names. It's billed as a coming-of-age story and looks like it has a lot of angst, attempted rebellion, social exile, as well as, hormone fueled fantasizing. It's like it's about sex without actually having any. 

Turn Me On is by a female filmmaker named Jannicke Systad Jacobsen. Frankly, the rather spoilery review I read mead it sound pretty great.

Also Mentionable: Detachment with Adrien Brody, Christina Hendricks, James Cann & Lucy Liu.  Indiewire.com describes it as, “a unique and stylized portrait of the American Education system seen through the eyes of substitute teacher Henry Barthes (Adrien Brody).”  Thats a great pitch coming from people who gave it a terrible review. Probably will not be eager for Detachment.

While these may not be coming out in your area they may be worth tracking down. If you're curious about one of these...which was the point...there are some reviews and summaries on imdb.com and The Hollywood Reporter you can check out for more info.

SMASH (2012, TV) Review - Veda Rains

Two weeks in, and I think I've found a new guilty pleasure in NBC's SMASH. I was first drawn to this drama/musical due to its subject matter: a behind-the-scenes look at making a Broadway musical-starting at the very beginning. I grew up on musicals and one of the first things I did when I went to NYC (for the first time) was go see Wicked. I love how much goes into live-action musicals-and how much those musicals can make you feel (well, unless the musical is pretty bad) so this subject matter piqued my interest.
The women vying for the lead in this particular musical are-Karen Cartwright (Katharine McPhee), a waitress with dreams of grandeur, and Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty), a chorus girl who's put in her time. Both actresses do a good job with what they're given-in Hilty's case, it's a little more interesting. I was concerned the creators would make both girls very polarizing: incredibly good or devilishly bad, but I'm rooting for each character. However, I have to say, on the surface, at least, I'm somewhat disappointed with how stereotypical McPhee's character and her situation is (I think I've written this character a fair amount of times myself). Her parents are from the Midwest and want her to get married already, she constantly disappoints her patient boyfriend and she's green as can be. Thank goodness McPhee turns in a pleasant performance and the second episode shows promise of her character fleshing out. This is my only negative comment, I have to say, because I do really enjoy the writing on the show! All of the characters have a lot of promise and room to grow. It's good to see Anjelica Houston in such a meaty role-throw that drink in that bastard of an ex-husband's face again!
Sure, because this is a musical show, I could say you'll love it or you'll hate it, but I don't think I can. You really need to check out a couple of episodes before you judge. As for me, I'll keep watching to see what happens next.
P.S. They use original music (by the guys who brought you the musical adaptation of Hairspray!) as well as revised versions of current and classic hits!

The Artist (2012) The Short of It Review- Veda Rains

Two weeks until the Oscars! A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of seeing this years' Best Picture front-runner: The Artist (do you see where this review is going? haha). It's new take on an old film form has captivated audiences across the globe and I was no exception.
I find that sometimes my favorite stories on film, are perhaps the most simple stories. It's the way the story is told and how each and every single element brings that seemingly ordinary story together to become an extraordinary story. The Artist is one of these stories.
Fans of Hollywood history and its transition from silent films to talkies immediately are transported back to that time where George Valentin, a silent film star who has it all, comes to terms with the harsh reality that silent films are on the outs. While George is on the way out, Peppy Miller is on her way in, having had a small role in one of Valentin's films, she never forgets Valentin, even as she becomes Hollywood's "it" girl. Both Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo play these roles exceptionally well. As this is a (for the most part) silent film, the actors have masterfully balanced the challenge/art of expressing their emotions in a way that is not over-the-top clown-like, but rather youthful, hopeful. I found myself immediately rooting for both characters.
Overall, this story is a (shall I say) magnificent piece of work! I think you, too, will be rooting for these characters. You'll share their joy, as well as their pain. And what makes this story/journey even better? It has a happy/uplifting ending! A rarity when it comes to films that gets such acclaim. So go see it! You may cry a little, but it just goes to show how heart-warming and spirited this film is. I can only compare it to Pixar films (that team is good!). You just come out of it feeling uplifted, happy, and almost better for watching the film. So go see it!

The Woman in Black (2012) Review - Veda Rains

CBS films must be patting themselves on the back for picking up the $3 million domestic distribution of the gothic horror film, The Woman in Black. The film is expected to make over $21 milllion this weekend and marks Daniel Radcliffe's first onscreen adult role.
The story was first released as a novel in 1983, followed by a stage and screen adaptation (the latter of which, starred Radcliffe's on-screen Harry Potter father, Adrian Rawlins) that same decade.
The tale follows Arthur Kipps, a sad widower who is sent by his law firm to settle the estate of a deceased old woman in a small town. Once he arrives, he is immediately met with angry townsfolk who won't exactly say why they're angry (presumably because they know his business), only that Kipps needs to head back to where he came from. It would have been somewhat helpful for them to actually give reason or share clues to why he avoid the old woman's home (instead of waiting until it's too late), but I suppose it's supposed to add to the mystery. Unfortunately, it also makes most of the townsfolk one-dimensional, save for Daily, a wealthy sensible man who befriends Kipps.
The story is chock-full of moments that will make any viewer jump, as Kipps digs deeper and deeper into the old woman's affairs and sees the woman in black for the first time. The woman is extremely creepy as are the toys in her secret room-seriously, don't get your kids, friends, or family members creepy toys!
Radcliffe turns in an exceptional performance as the tortured Kipps, proving he has a hopeful film career ahead of him. Once Kipps learns the story of the woman in black, and believes he can make things right and rid the town of her, it's very clear that the woman's work will never be done. I wasn't sure if this was supposed to be the case, or if Kipps truly believed that he was rid of the woman in black (most likely, he just expressed hope). Of course, once his child meets him at the train station, he clearly wants to play it safe.
Overall, this film was a great choice for a rainy day. It has all the makings of a classic horror story: mystery, secrecy, scary moments that will make you jump, redemption and hope. The end was particularly touching, but not for the reasons countless other horror stories have forged. While I would not mark it down as a masterpiece, it's faults are few and it's definitely worth a viewing or two-just don't watch it alone.